His sacrifice
by allanarcher777
Summary: I try and strive for the worlds benefit. I hope and fight for the world we dreamed of. I must fulfill this vow for them. I, am the ultimate life-form. My name... is Maria [IMPORTANT UPDATE. SEE LATEST CHAPTER.] [ADOPTED BY D.N.WORKS]
1. Chapter 1

I don't own the Sonic series

All content belongs to respective owners.

* * *

His sacrifice.

By: Allanarcher777

Chapter 1: 50 years ago.

Aboard the space colony ARK, Gerald Robotnik was working tirelessly day in and day out, he felt he was on the verge of ultimate success. "If I just mix these two chemicals together with Shadow's blood, and then super heat it." He mixed various serums together and put the mixture in a machine. The vial inside started to glow a deep red. Gerald looked at it in awe and laughed. "I did. I actually did it! SHADOW!" Gerald called in excitement.

Shadow quickly rushed into the room with a worried expression on his face, fearing something bad happened. "Professor, what's the problem?"

"No problem! The opposite actually." The scientist grabbed the vial and started to pour it into a syringe. "After months of sleepless work, I finally did it. This serum will cure my granddaughter's illness that has plagued her for so long. She can finally leave this place and go to the planet's surface!"

Shadow was stunned. "Really? Professor, this better not be a joke."

"I wouldn't joke about this even if my life depended on it!" Gerald handed the syringe to Shadow and hung up his lab coat on a wall. "What are you waiting for? Go give the cure to Maria and tell her to find a coat, I want to take her there as soon as we can to celebrate!" Shadow was so overjoyed that he actually felt a large smile come across his face.

"Don't worry, I will!" Shadow hurried down the halls to find his friend. Eventually he came across her gazing out a window into the open stars. "Maria, it's a miracle!" The blonde haired girl turned around with delight to face the black hedgehog.

"Hello, Shadow. You seem a lot more perky than usual. What's the fuss?"

"The fuss is that The Professor made something extraordinary. Something that will change our lives forever!" The mystery of the surprise made Maria even more excited by the second.

"I can't take the suspense anymore. Just tell me what it is!"

"Heh, alright. He made a…" Before Shadow could finish, something happened that made both his and Maria's blood run cold.

BOOOOOOM! The colony shook from the force of a large impact. The emergency lights and sirens went off and an automated voice came from out of loud speakers. "ALERT! ALERT! THE SPACE COLONY ARK IS UNDER ATTACK! EVACUATE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!" The pair couldn't believe their ears. Maria started to panic over the shock.

"The ARK is under attack?! Shadow, what's going on?"

"I don't know. Let's just get out of here." The two proceeded to rush down the hall, but don't at the sight of armed soldiers.

"Hey, you two, Stop!" One of the men shouted. Maria, though afraid, thought on her feet. She grabbed Shadow's arm and pulled him in the opposite direction. With the soldiers hot on their tale, the pair eventually ran into a single room and Maria sealed the door behind them. Maria gasped for breath in exhaustion.

"Maria, are you okay?" Shadow asked as the soldiers tried to break the door down from the outside. When Maria calmed down she looked Shadow dead in the eye.

"Shadow, do you think those soldiers are after you?" Shadow was surprised at the question. He hesitated to think of a response.

"I don't really know. Perhaps it's because the professor is often keeping his projects secret. Alongside the occasional weapon." He hypothesized. Maria looked out the window as she was hitting buttons on a control panel.

"I suppose that is a good point. But you said that he wanted to make people happy with his inventions. Why would they want to attack someone who didn't try to hurt anyone?"

"I don't know." Shadow sighed. He took the time to look around and saw the large circle in the center of the room. He started thinking to himself.

(This room. Is this an escape pod port?) Shadow smirked. (Not bad Maria. We should be able to get away from all the soldiers without them being able to track us.) He felt a little proud of Maria for thinking of a quick solution. Then he started to notice a few grave details. (Wait, this is a Model 1C. These kinds of pods need at least one person operating from the outside to work.) Shadow questioned the effectiveness of the single pod.

Then it hit him. (No. She's really planning on sending me out alone. After all the Professor's work. I can't let her throw her life away like this.) Shadow felt his heart ache as he took a deep breath as he walked over to Maria. "Listen, Maria." His friend stopped and turn to face him. "I'm going to be honest with you. I'm scared of what might happen, what will happen."

"Don't worry, Shadow it's going to be okay." She reassured him. Shadow shed a small tear and quickly wiped it away.

"Maria, I feel like I should give you something before I forget."

"What is it?" Shadow slowly pulled out the needle with the antidote and put it in Maria's hands. Her blue eyes gazed at it in curiosity. "A needle? What is this?"

"It's what The Professor made, and the key to your future." Before Maria could respond, Shadow grabbed her arms and threw her to the side and in the center of the circle. He zipped over to the control panel and hit a button that sealed the pod. Maria was in disbelief at what her friend had done.

"Shadow, what's come over you!?" As she was trying to call Shadow out, the banging on the door got louder and heavier.

"Maria, we don't have that much time. That vial contains a cure for your illness, the one that you needed me to survive." Maria's mouth dropped open in shock as she looked at it. A key for freedom from the pain she's suffered. "I know what you wanted to do for me. But you deserve this more. Take that cure, and live life as you please." It was as Shadow finished that the soldiers broke the door down and armed their weapons.

"Freeze! Put your hands up." Shadow didn't listen as he continued to adjust the escape the pod's settings and prep it for launch. "We said stop!" He continued to adjust the machine, and a tone signaled it was ready to launch. "Open the pod with the girl and surrender. Or we WILL kill you!"

There was a heavy silence as Maria simply stared at Shadow. His hand hovering over the lever. Then, in an instant, Shadow pulled the lever for the pod to launch.

And Shadow was shot square in the chest. "SHADOW!" She shrieked.

"Good bye… Maria…" Shadow whispered as his eyes closed forever and the pod flew out of the Space Colony ARK. Maria still couldn't fully comprehend everything that happened.

"Shadow… Grandfather… My home…" She eyed the antidote in her hand and sighed. "For you Shadow, Grandfather, everyone." She took a deep breath and drove the needle into her arm. Pushing the plunger down and draining the fluid into her veins. She sat and looked at the ARK one last time and cried.

Then, suddenly, she felt a sharp pain shoot through her body. "Wha… Why do I feel… Strange?" Maria questioned as her vision got blurry. A groggy feeling hit her in sync with a heatwave that caused her body to sweat. Then, everything went black as she passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own the Sonic series

All content belongs to respective owners.

* * *

Chapter 2: Released.

 _Present time…_

Deep in the catacombs of the military base, Prison Island, everything was serene. The hallways were dimly light and the only sounds came from a few leaky pipes. Unfortunately, that silence was short lived. A large explosion engulfed the hallway and large stomps echoed in the steel corridor. An alarm blared from around the facility.

"SECURITY BREACH! SECURITY BREACH! INTRUDER DETECTED ON LEVEL 3! SEAL ALL GATES IMMEDATLEY!" As the automated voice alerted guards and security. A mech blasted through waves of robots with a machine gun. Inside the cockpit was a man with a large, brown mustache. Wearing a red, white, and gold outfit.

"Ah ha ha. This is all so easy. Now, to find what G.U.N. was hiding: An object of unknown origin and immense power. The government wanted to weaponize their finding, but ultimately decided against it because they feared said power." The man explained to himself. After about 15 minutes of destruction, he had made his way into the deepest part of the base. In front of him was a computer terminal hooked up to a large mechanism.

The man drove his machine closer to it and examined the mysterious machines. "This is the military's finding? It's a lot smaller than I expected." He turned the computer on and started to hack into it. "Enter user data… Enter password… S-H-A-D-O-W. Shadow." He narrated as he typed. A small hatch in the dashboard opened when he finished. Seeing his opportunity, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a white gemstone. "Now, to put the Chaos Emerald into this console." Placing the emerald in the machine, it whirred to life and a larger device came out of the floor.

The bulky pile of steel had a glass tube in its center that hissed and opened after reaching the top. Inside of it was not what the scientist had been expecting. He saw a small, yellow, hedgehog girl in a blue and white dress with matching shoes. Her hair like quills were drooping to the sides, held in place with a hairband. Her eyes slowly opened and began to process her surroundings.

Eventually, her eyes settled on the man in the little mini tank, and she smiled. "Grandfather? It is you!" She celebrated. Before the man could even react, the girl jumped into his transport and wrapped him in a hug.

"Get off me, you little brat!" The hedgehog stopped and looked at him again.

"Grandfather, why do you look so young? And what's that thing you are riding?"

"Stop calling me your grandpa, girl! I am Dr. Eggman the world's greatest scientific mind!" He boasted. This claim got the creature confused.

"Egg-Man?" The pair were soon interrupted by a large green robot hovering overhead. It made a few clicks as it prepared large weapons and explosives for it to attack with. The pilot inside spoke through his radio.

"This is Scorpion troops: Hot Shot. The intruder has been found and has released the hedgehog. Preparing to intercept and capture, dead or alive." He alerted through the receiver. Eggman groaned in response.

"It appears I still have some work to do. You think you have a chance? Try me!" The doctor's machine jumped up and the two began to blast at each other. The girl on the other hand simply stood in confusion.

"Hedgehog? Shadow, where are you?" She called out as she looked around to find the hedgehog. The two machines blasted a couple of rockets and startled her. She ran over behind the tube she came out of for safety. Then she turned her head and saw her reflection. "Wait, is that… me?" She raised her hand, now totally yellow, and put it to her face. She started to tremble as she touched her now pointy, triangular ears.

It was all too much. She shrieked in terror as she saw how she had transformed. "What happened to me?" The girl questioned. She was broken out of her daze when the fighting between the two machines got closer to her. "Wait! Stop fighting! I need to talk." The two didn't relent as her plea fell on deaf ears. The chaos was getting to overwhelm her with fear and confusion. "I. Said. STOP!"

In an instant, she thrusted her arms forward and shot yellow lighting at the green robot. Destroying it completely and launching its pilot from their seat. The man ran for his life when he got back to his feet. Dr. Eggman sat in awe as he saw the growing flames. Then he smirked. "Oh, I see now. You are the military's top secret weapon, girly!" The hedgehog gave no response. She just gazed at the destruction she had single handedly caused "Hello? Is anyone there?"

"Help me." She replied finally.

"Huh?"

"PLEASE HELP ME! I don't understand any of this. Who are you? Where am I? Why am I not a human? NOTHING MAKES SENSE!" She sobbed. Eggman took pity on the creature and tried to calm her down.

"Okay, okay. Let's just start with something simple. What is your name?" He asked calmly. She took a few deep breaths and nervously answered.

"My name is Maria. Maria Robotnik." There was an awkward silence save the still crackling fire from the wrecked machinery in the room. Eggman chose his next question carefully.

"You mistook me for your grandfather earlier. What was HIS name?"

"His name was Professor Gerald." Eggman shot back in shock.

"That's impossible." He whispered to himself. He started to mutter theories and ideas as Maria stood there waiting for a reply. "Maria, this might be hard for both of us to believe. But I think we might be…" He struggled to finish his sentence.

"Might be what?"

"I think we might be cousins."


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own the Sonic series

All content belongs to respective owners.

* * *

Chapter 3: Pursuit of knowledge

The pair of Eggman and Maria simply drifted through the skies in a floating gray pod. Maria still couldn't fully keep up with everything she was faced with. "I have a cousin. I'm on Earth. And I've probably been asleep for how many years?"

"50 years." Maria groaned at her cousin's response in discomfort. "Don't feel so bad. Let me reintroduce myself. Eggman is more of a nickname for myself, my real name is Ivo Robotnik." He admitted to the girl.

"It's nice to meet you, Ivo." She sighed, still a bit uncomfortable. She started to look down at the ocean below and saw her reflection once again in the waves. She was about to mope again about her circumstances when she looked at the waves rather than herself. She got a small smile and turned to Eggman. "Could you bring us down lower?" Eggman shrugged as he lowered the altitude of the hovercraft.

Maria slowly stuck her hand out the side and gently stuck it in the sea. She giggled as it tickled her fingers when the water ran between them. "I always wanted to do this. The day I finally got to see the planet since I was a little girl. The day I could make new memories." She lamented, cherishing the bittersweet dream. Then she dragged herself back to reality. "That reminds me, how are we going to figure out… this?" She asked as she put emphasis on her now changed body.

"I have been working on a unique scanner that can read the brain and find information from within. If you just tell me what happened while we use it. We should get some answers." He suggested. The doctor shrugged again as he continued and drove the hovercraft into a desert. "If we still don't get everything, we could always just read our grandfather's diary." He spit balled casually. Maria couldn't believe what she just heard.

"His diary? Ivo, how did you get ahold of that?"

"It wasn't easy. I had to go through a lot of trouble to find it in restricted government networks. But truth be told I haven't read much of it yet." The man admitted as they floated into a pyramid. "Here we are." Dr. Eggman and Maria walked through the hidden fortress until they got to a room with a single computer and a chair. Next to the chair was a purple headband with a bunch of wires connecting to the computer. "Go have a seat and put that on." Maria did as instructed and fastened the headband on.

Soon the monitor started to glow and Dr. Eggman sat behind the keyboard. "Alright, start from the beginning. What do you last remember before waking up?" Maria closed her eyes and tried to visualize it.

"I remember being on the Space Colony ARK…" She started to recite. As she talked, the images of her memories appeared on the screen. "… I was just going about my days as usual, when my friend Shadow came to see me." As she mentioned Shadow. A black and red hedgehog appeared on the screen and Eggman tried to suppress a groan of disgust, seeing as how he looked similar to an acquaintance of his. Maria didn't notice as she continued to remember. "He wanted to give me something, something important. He was about to, but then something happened. I think it was an emergency." She assumed.

Then the screen started to jump to various shots of the ARK showing red lights going off, darkening the appearance of various soldiers. "Wait, it wasn't just an emergency. The colony was attacked by the military! Shadow and I tried to escape them and then we..." Maria gasped and her eyes shot open just as an image of Shadow getting shot by a soldier appeared on screen. Even Eggman was in shock from the incident.

"Oh, my. That's… tragic." He admitted in disbelief. Maria started to tear up at the sight.

"Shadow. He sacrificed himself for me. He DIED so I could LIVE!" She cried in pain and sorrow having remembered the truth. Her cousin simply stared at her sympathetically. His heart ached like a long broken section had warmed up again. He couldn't bare to see his cousin in pain.

"Maria, we can just stop if you want." He offered. The hedgehog sniffled and looked up.

"No. I appreciate the offer, Ivo. But if I don't confront the past now, I might never stop running."

"Hmmm. Very well, back on topic, what did Shadow want to give you so badly?" The scientist inquired. Maria stroked her chin and tried to recall. As the answer came to her, a red needle appeared on screen.

"A cure. It was a cure for a disease I had, that normally would be fatal to anyone diagnosed with it." Hearing the explanation put a thought in Eggman's head.

"I think that serum might have been more than just cold medicine, Maria." He half joked.

"What do you mean?"

"You were most likely human before taking it, right?" Maria nodded in response vigorously. "Perhaps the chemicals caused an unintended mutation that altered your body's DNA and structure." Dr. Eggman theorized. Maria was understandably a little skeptic.

"But, shouldn't Grandfather have noticed that side-effect?"

"Only one way to find out." Eggman reached into his pocket and pulled out a small computer disk. He then proceeded to plug it into the hard drive and extract the files. Various lines of text started to spell out in screen. Maria only stared in wonder as she took the headband off.

"Grandfather's diary." She whispered in awe. Eventually, enough of it loaded for her cousin to start reading.

"Now, let's see here."

 _Entry # 506_

 _I'm still having trouble calming down after the incident. Shadow was off for a mere 5 hours and Maria's disease increased in its intensity and nearly sent her into a coma. I was lucky she didn't perish. But luck only lasts so long._

 _No more procrastinating. I'm either going to assign all my projects to my fellow researchers, or scrap them completely. I need all the time I can to work on making a vaccine._

 _Maria, don't worry. I'll save you._

 _Entry # 510_

 _None of my experiments are showing results. In fact, one of them may have increased the virus's strength. How am I ever going to get this right?_

 _Entry # 524_

 _I think I might be on the right track. If Shadow is capable of sustaining Maria's condition, then perhaps his genes are key to making a permanent cure. Of course! The answer was right in front of me the whole time!_

 _Entry # 540_

 _YES! I DID IT! I finally got the formula right and all the traces of the infection have been eradicated from the test tray. I finally did it, Maria. At last you're safe. I can't wait for us all to go to Earth and see it all up close, like you always wanted. I feel like the happiest man on the planet!_

 _Entry # 541_

 _My misery knows no limits. Just as I had discovered a cure. G.U.N. raids the ARK for fear of my creations being "a menace to society." All my work has been destroyed. I just hope that Shadow and Maria are safe…_

 _Entry # 542_

 _WHY DOES IT KEEP GETTING WORSE!? I did a double take on my medical research for the vaccine and found that it had some powerful side-effects. It had mutated the human DNA samples to become highly comparable to Shadow's. Even stranger, they are surging with Chaos Energy as well. I'm worried about how this could affect Maria. Hopefully I can find her and comfort her…_

 _Entry #... WHY DOES IT MATTER ANYMORE?_

 _I just got a full list of the casualties among the ARK incident. Shadow AND Maria were both on it. I don't know what I'll do. They meant everything to me… I'M GOING INSANE! All I can think about is…_

"STOP!" Maria shouted with tears flowing from her eyes. Ivo turned around startled. "I think we got enough. Oh, Grandpa… I never even got to say goodbye." She cried. Eggman bit his lip and pushed up his dark glasses.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this, Maria." She looked up at him in despair.

"Why must people be so cruel?" She asked bitterly.

"Because lots of people are selfish, evil even. I should know, since I'm an example." Maria was stunned by this response "I often try to conquer the world and rule an empire with an iron fist! But I'm always stopped by bothersome heroes. Yet there are other bad people like me causing harm in the world. Always fighting and hurting one another." He explained. "I know it's hard to accept. But there's no easy way to put it." He stated bluntly.

Maria could only mope as she realized that everything, and everyone she had ever known and loved was taken from her. As she cried, a thought was created in her head. She didn't know if it was kind, or malicious, or perhaps even a little of both. Regardless, it was there and it prompted her to make her next choice. "If conquering the world is the game you want to play…" She started to ask as she looked him dead in the eye, wiping away her tears.

"…Then what are the rules?"


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own the Sonic series

All content belongs to respective owners.

* * *

Chapter 4: Training for war.

Laser fire was heavily pelted through the cold steel room of Dr. Eggman's base. Various robots tried to blast Maria to the ground and stop her from reaching the power switch at the end of the hallway. She tried to stay alert and swiftly dodged all the shots returning with a few of her own. "Chaos SPEAR!" She shouted as yellow bolts of energy blew up the turrets. She curled up into a ball and Spin-Dashed through another 5 robots. Maria took a moment to admire her handiwork before speeding down again.

She remembered the moment that set her down this path.

 _Two weeks prior_

"Maria, are you sure you want to help me with this? If you were anyone else I'd jump at the opportunity for extra help. But you might not be fit for the life of a villain." Eggman asked wanting to clarify his cousin's actions.

"I'm not being a villain. Just a hero in villain's clothing. If we conquer the world, there won't be as much reason to fight! No more wars, no more violence. Just peace." She explained.

"Unity through conquest? I guess that could work. Besides, I could still rule over and govern everything! Is this really what you want though?"

"I've made my choice, Ivo. Where do we start?" She asserted. A spark of determination in her eyes. Eggman smirked seeing his new partner in crime.

"Well, if our grandfather's notes are anything to go off of. You might be able to use all the same powers that Shadow friend of yours could. What made him so special?" Ivo asked in curiosity.

"Super speed, enhanced strength, and unique "Chaos Powers."" She listed off from memory.

"Then I guess we better help you learn how to use them." He stopped and did a double take of his cousin. "And maybe some new clothes. Those shoes look rather small on you." Maria looked at her feet and found herself both blushing and giggling in embarrassment.

 _Present time_

Since then, Maria had been constantly training to get a grip on her new strength. Along with the training courses he made. Eggman also got her a new pair of blue and white running boots, and made her a pair of white gloves and bracelets. He told her they were engineered to help her tap into her powers and stop herself from pushing herself too far. In due time, she had reached incredible heights and proved herself to be formidable force.

"I think I might set a new record today." She suggested to herself as she jumped up and bounced off the various training bots towards the button. Once she hit the last robot, she propelled herself forward and hit the button, shutting down the whole training exercise. A monitor came down and displayed her time

"New record recorded. Time: 2 minutes and 14 seconds." An automated announcer declared.

"Yes! I did it!" She celebrated to herself. Shortly after, a steel door slid open and Dr. Eggman walked in the room.

"Incredible, Maria. You've come a long way since when we first started. It's really quite astonishing seeing your performance." He congratulated.

"Thank you, Ivo. Do you think I'm ready for the real stuff?"

"Well, there is one more test I want to see you complete before you're put to action." Eggman started to reach into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "Remember when I said that "heroes" try and stop me? Well there is one in particular that gets on my nerves the most." He handed the paper to Maria and she examined it.

She was surprised with the image on it. She saw a picture of a hedgehog on it and instantly thought of her friend. "This looks like Shadow!" Her shock was short lived when she took a closer like at the figure's blue quills and how they were curved at a downward angle. "Wait, no, it's not him." She sighed with the poor memory in her mind. "Who is this person?"

"His name is Sonic. He's an incredibly fast individual who has been a thorn in my side for years. Technically he's not a "bad guy" but if our goals are to be fulfilled, then you're going to need to be prepared to face him." He explained. Maria stared at the photo and nodded.

"So, am I going to meet him and challenge him to a battle?" She asked curiously.

"Not exactly. There is someone else I have in mind." Ivo gave a whistle and then another figure entered the room. His silhouette came into focus and revealed him to be a blue robot. He was similar in appearance to Sonic, except for the turbine engine in his torso and his dark red and black eyes.

"Is that a robot Sonic?"

"Yes, I've made several Sonic robots over the years, but Metal Sonic is by far the best of them all." Eggman gloated proudly. "Now, I've instructed Metal to challenge you in a race whenever you're ready. I wish you luck in being able to get to the switch again before he does." He challenged. "If you can handle him, the real Sonic shouldn't be too much of a problem."

Maria looked over at Metal and shrugged nervously. "I guess we can just run the course together, Metal." She offered in a friendly manner. However, the robot made noise besides it's movements to the start of the course. Maria followed suit and started to stretch a little bit. Eggman simply watched from the sidelines, waiting for the race to start. Maria turned to face Metal one more time and cleared her throat. "I know you don't talk much, but can you do me a favor?" Metal simply turned his head toward her in response. "I want you to put all your effort into this race. I want to make sure I have the strength necessary to protect this planet." She pleaded. There was a slight pause as the robot stared back at her.

Then he nodded and a loud sound came from his built-in engine. Maria smiled and narrowed her eyes. When the two both took off, she was surprised how fast Metal Sonic was. "Woah, Is the real Sonic usually this quick?" She shouted for her cousin.

"He often is. I feel like he gets faster over time, so you might need to be prepared." Eggman replied as he saw them get closer to the button at the end of the track. Maria narrowed her eyes and tried to speed up. She felt as though she was about to pass him rather quickly. But her pride was short lived when the robot took a swing at her and smacked her backward. Dr. Eggman was mortified and rushed on to the course.

"Maria!" He helped her up off the ground and she groaned in discomfort. "I'm sorry, Metal Sonic is programmed to be incredibly violent in battle. Maybe this was a mistake." He questioned as Metal still flew across the track. Maria slowly got up and looked at how much distance the blue robot was gaining. She stared ahead and felt a strange feeling stir in her heart. She felt a feeling of helplessness and weakness.

And she didn't tolerate it in the slightest. She got down on one knee and narrowed her eyes. "No, I can do this. I can win. I won't be weak again!" She curled up into a ball and spun rapidly until finally rocketing forward. She eventually started running on her feet when she got enough speed. Metal continued to jet forward and fly over a large section of track, not really noticing Maria come up behind him. The hedgehog bounced across the small platforms suspended over a large hole in the floor and dashed even closer towards Metal.

When she got close enough to him, she jumped and bounced off of him. The boost sent her flying forward where she hit the button and a buzzer went off. She panted and gasped as the adrenaline wore off. "I *huff* did it!" Eggman hustled as quickly as he could and proceeded to lift Maria up in a hug.

"Maria, that was spectacular! The only other person that could beat Metal Sonic like that was the real deal. I'm proud to see how far you've come." Maria smiled at how much her cousin was happy for her success. Metal Sonic shortly come to the finish line as well and simply stared at the pair. Maria slowly walked up to him and stuck out her hand.

"Good race, thanks for training me." She congratulated. Metal simply gazed at Maria and her warm smile and glanced at her hand. After a moment, he slowly lifted his and grabbed Maria's hand, shaking it awkwardly. Maria turned to Eggman with optimistic eyes. "Is Metal Sonic going to help us?" She asked curiously.

"Unfortunately not this time. He's actually in the process of being upgraded. This was just an opportunity to calibrate some new software routines." Ivo explained. "Regardless, I think we're ready to get started. I was actually trying to draft a few ideas for my next scheme. Perhaps we could try and get landmarks captured one by one…" As the doctor began to list possible plans and Metal Sonic walked away, Maria simply daydreamed. She thought about her past again and how things were coming down to this.

Then she remembered something from long ago, when she was younger and was having a conversation with her grandpa

 _"Grandfather, why did you make something like this? Don't you want to make things that help people?"_

 _"Of course I do! This was made to protect the ARK and the planet from meteors."_

 _"But what if someone mean got here? Aren't you worried they might use it in a bad way?"_

 _"Of course. But I have this area locked down so only I can get in with this." Gerald held up a small idea badge with his picture on it. "Don't worry. Just go along and play with Shadow."_

 _"Ok, grandfather."_

Maria came back to reality as something clicked in her. "I have an idea! I know of a weapon we could use."

"A weapon? What kind of weapon?"

"I want to leave it a surprise. But I'll tell you that we can find it on The Space Colony ARK." She explained.

"Well, I guess I can set up a teleporter to take us there." Maria grabbed his arm and stopped him before he walked away.

"Wait, I don't think we can go just yet." She thought for a minute as she recalled how the weapon she was thinking of worked. "I think we might need more Chaos Emeralds. Like that white one you have." Eggman stroked his chin and nodded in understanding.

"If that's the case, how about we split up and go emerald hunting? I have a couple of radars you can use."

"Great!" Eggman reached into his pocket hand handed a small device to his cousin. "I say let's look for 3 days and meet up back here, then we can go to the ARK together?"

"Sounds like a plan. Just call me if you get into trouble." He instructed as he walked away to the aircraft hanger.

"Don't worry, Ivo. I will." She took a deep breath and looked up to the ceiling. "And don't worry, Shadow. I won't let your sacrifice be for nothing.


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own the Sonic series

All content belongs to respective owners.

* * *

Chapter 5: Police faux pas

The streets of Central City were bustling with cars and civilians alike. A small family was out getting ice cream and spending a day out in the sun. As the little boy of the family was licking his cone, a blue streak of color passed him and stirred up the wind. "Mom, Dad that was Sonic the Hedgehog!" He claimed in excitement. And the boy was right. The hedgehog rushed down block after block without a care in the world. He eventually stopped at a chili dog and got to be first in line.

"One please. And be sure to put extra jalapenos in it." The cart handler handed Sonic his sausage and the blue hero smiled as he paid with 2 golden rings. "Thank you." He started to walk, taking a bite and enjoying the sunshine. He was about to start running again when he found himself pulled into an alleyway. When he looked at who dragged him in, he nearly screamed. In front of him stood a pink hedgehog in a red dress.

"AMY!?" Sonic nearly ran away, but Amy stopped him before he could hit Mach 3.

"Sonic, wait. I'm not trying to ask you out. I need your help with something serious!"

"Can you define serious?" Sonic asked as he still kept running in place ready for a getaway.

"It's so bizarre. The cops, SWAT, F.B.I., C.I.A. All sorts of law enforcement are after me!" She cried.

"What! Why would they be chasing you? You'd never do anything illegal."

"I don't know. They just came to my door and said I was under arrest for robbing a bank last night. But I never left my house that night. I'm scared Sonic."

"Don't worry, Amy. Just stick with me and we'll get through this." He reassured his girlfriend. It was then that sirens blared out and the pair was spotted by law enforcement.

"Freeze, put your hands in the air!" An officer called out. Sonic picked Amy up bride style and revved up.

"Hang tight, Amy. This could get crazy!" Sonic warned as he dashed with Amy in tow. The police soon made note of them and in a short time span, there were all sorts of cars, choppers, and security robots on the chase. "How could they possible think of you as a criminal, Amy?"

"I don't know. Maybe there's something in the media to give us a clue?" Amy offered. Sonic nodded and sidestepped onto the street and swished out a newspaper from a box.

"Read it to me, I need to see where I am going." Amy held up the paper and read it out loud.

"Last night, the international bank of the United Federation was broken into last night. Strangely, the only thing stolen was a Chaos Emerald." She read word for word. Sonic scrunched up his face and groaned.

"Why does this reek of egg so much?" He joked. Amy continued on.

"The security camera footage was almost nearly destroyed. With only enough irregular footage to pin a single suspect. Local resident: Amy Rose!"

"So, Eggman has a robot framing you? Wonder why he didn't put me in the hotseat?"

"I don't think it's a robot, Sonic. Look at this picture they put in." Amy waved the paper in front of Sonic and he saw a girl that looked like Amy trying to steal the jewel.

"That's probably fake." Just then, there was a loud horn honk from behind them and Amy suddenly look terrified.

"Ssssssoooooooonnnnnniiiiiiiiic!" Sonic turned around and saw a giant, black, semi truck chasing them from behind. It was so large it took up the whole road.

"Normally, I'm not that scared of things chasing me. But this time… AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Both hedgehogs screamed in terror together. The two were on the run until the dead of night. "I think we lost them." Then there was a large steel stomp against the pavement.

"Spider troop: Big Foot, reporting. The hedgehogs have been located. Preparing to capture." The mech pilot radioed as he started to fire missiles at the two hedgehogs. Both Sonic and Amy were able to dodge out of the way and stay on the move. Sonic simply groaned.

"I do not have time for this. Amy, you still have your hammer?" Amy smirked and pulled out a giant red and yellow mallet. Sonic began to charge a Spin Dash. Amy ran over with her hammer at the ready. "NOW!" Amy took a hard swing and Sonic blew the machine to bits. Sending the pilot flying through the sky with a parachute. Amy rushed over to Sonic as quickly as she could.

"Sonic, are you okay?"

"Grr. Eggman or not, robots are always a pain in my… HUH?!" Sonic stopped himself when he saw someone stand on the remains of the robot. She was a yellow hedgehog in a blue outfit similar to Amy's. In her hand was the glowing green Chaos Emerald.

"The path to joy is paved with power. The power of the Chaos Emeralds." She smiled a strangely innocent smile. Sonic started to connect the dots as he recognized her from the photo.

"Oh, now this makes sense." The girl glanced over at Sonic in a surprised fashion. "You're the one that stole the emerald from the bank, aren't you?" The mysterious figure broke a nervous sweat and started to dart her eyes back and forth. Under her breath, she started to whisper to herself.

"It's okay… It's just like the training."

"Hey, speak up lady." The girl grew even more nervous.

"It's not like training. I need to get out of here!" She looked at the Emerald in her hand and got an idea. "Can I do this?" She wondered. Sonic's patience was running out as he ran towards her.

"Say something, you thief!" In an instant, the girl head the jewel up high and squeezed her eyes shut.

"CHAOS CONTROL!" In an instant, there was a green glow and then nothing. The yellow hedgehog opened her eyes and saw that time had been frozen to a standstill. Sonic was petrified mid run without even realizing it. Not even the wind dare speak. The girl soon felt a wide smile cross her face. "I did it. I USED CHAOS CONTROL!" She shouted with glee. She was so proud of her self she skipped past Sonic and Amy to the other side of the street.

When time resumed. Sonic and Amy were stunned at what happened. "Wow, Sonic. She's even faster than you!" Sonic couldn't believe it at first. The idea of someone faster than him. Then he remembered what the girl did before she vanished.

"Wait, Amy. I don't think its speed. I think she used the Chaos Emerald to teleport."

"Very observant, Sonic." The pair turned to see the girl by the street corner, still griping the Emerald. "My name is Maria. I'd love to get to know you more, but I have a job to do. Farewell." The emerald glowed again and in an instant, Maria was gone. Sirens soon came close to the two remaining hedgehogs and Sonic curled his hands into fists. He ran over to a manhole and tore it open.

"Amy get in!"

"But Sonic…"

"I'll be fine, GO!" Amy nodded and crawled into the sewer. In just a few short seconds, the police came and cuffed Sonic. The blue hedgehog could only think about the girl. "Maria. Who is she?"


	6. Chapter 6

I don't own the Sonic series

All content belongs to respective owners.

* * *

Chapter 6: Back home

In just a few days, both Dr. Eggman and Maria made their way back to the pyramid base in the desert. Eggman had a rather serious face as he sighed. "My search wasn't successful. I would have gotten something even greater than the Chaos Emeralds if a blasted echidna hadn't destroyed it." He lamented. Maria still had a kind smile on her face as she took the news without any worries.

"Its okay, Ivo. You still have that white Emerald. And I found another one." She celebrated as she pulled out a green jewel. Her cousin marveled at its brilliance.

"Well done, Maria. Now, I set up a teleporter to take us into the Space Colony ARK. But before we go, do you know where to find the weapon?" He asked. Maria nodded and tried to stay optimistic despite the memories of her past burning her heart up like a forest fire.

"I know the ARK like the back of my hand. Every room, every hallway, every window for star gazing." She started to drift in to a daydream, but dragged herself out of it. "Sorry, got a little distracted. I'm ready to go." The two cousins went into a small, separate room and stepped onto a green circle. Eggman hit a button and the panel started to glow very brightly. Maria held up an arm to shield her eyes.

When the glow faded, they were inside a dark, purple room. There was only the slight crackle of electricity from worn out lights to keep them company. "I think we made it. I'm sure of it." Maria asserted. They began to explore the long abandoned facility and look for the weapon Maria spoke of. They scoured every corner Maria led them down. "Turn right here. Now we take two lefts…" She guided her cousin through the ARK until she stopped and peered at a single door.

"Is this where the weapon is?" Maria shook her head.

"No. This is my old room." She walked inside and saw the room had been completely untouched. The bed was still made from 50 years back, and everything was covered in dust. She looked over to a desk by a window and saw a picture covered in dust. She picked it up and blew it off to show a picture of Professor Gerald, Shadow, and her old human self all smiling together. She frowned and shed another tear, which splat across the photograph. Eggman walked by and put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. "I miss them so much." She calmly admitted.

"If you ever need to cry, you have a shoulder standing beside you at any time."

"Thanks, Ivo. You said that you were a villain. But you have a good heart. Come on, we're almost there." Maria took the picture out of the frame and put it in her dress pocket. Eggman smiled feeling how nice it was for someone to show him such affection. A few minutes passed and the duo made it to a large room with a central computer located at the edge of a long white bridge. Behind it was a bizarre mechanism with seven peculiar slots on it. "Here we are. This is the ARK's central control room." Maria explained as she started to turn the system back on.

The large machine whirred back to life after years of slumber and the screen lit up with all sorts of info displayed on it. "Though Grandfather focused on creations for humanity's benefit, he was no stranger to the occasional weapon. This computer is linked to one of them. A meteor destroying laser capable of obliterating planets. It was codenamed: The Eclipse Cannon."

"Destroying planets? Incredible, it just screams power!"

"So much power that our grandfather deactivated it for safety reasons. It can only be reactivated with large amounts of energy." As she said that, she took the green Chaos Emerald and plugged it in to the center slot. It started to shine and glow, causing the machine's humming to grow louder.

"So that's why we needed the Chaos Emeralds." Eggman realized seeing its design of drawing from their power. "I'm assuming we need all seven to get the cannon working again?" He asked expecting a yes. But surprisingly, Maria shook her head.

"No, we only needed one, two at most. But having more Emeralds greatly reduces the charge time caused by recoil and increases the power of the cannon altogether. So it's best if we do get all seven." She explained. "With that, the world could be ours."

Dr. Eggman couldn't help but laugh in delight at the thought. "That plan sounds marvelous, Maria. We'll get the other five Chaos Emeralds, use the machine to dominate the world, and build a legacy of our own!" He fantasized with glee. But the moment was interrupted when a third, feminine voice rang out in the darkness.

"Do you two really think it'll be that easy?" It cooed. The two looked up to the source of the noise to find a white bat in a black and pink outfit. She hung upside down from the ceiling and then proceeded to land in-between Eggman and Maria. The yellow hedgehog was shocked by her presence.

"Who are you? How did you get here?"

"I have my ways. But back on topic, how about we make a deal?" Maria was still a little skeptical.

"Not until I know who you are." She stubbornly demanded. Eggman cleared his throat and got Maria's attention.

"I actually ran into her while I was emerald hunting. Though, we didn't really interact that much."

"Exactly, and I want to change that. I know where you can find some more Chaos Emeralds. All you need for my service is to give me a radar to help track the treasure I want most… The Master Emerald!" The bat girl proposed. The Robotniks were not exactly willing to accept her help however.

"How can we trust you? Especially since you managed to sneak in here unnoticed." Eggman spat. The bat grinned and gave a little wink as she dug into her pocket.

"Will taking an item off your grocery list do?" She playfully remarked as she pulled out a dark blue Chaos Emerald. The pair was speechless as she handed it to Eggman. After the doctor recovered from his shock he nodded.

"Very well."

"Great, it's a deal. I don't believe we've been formerly introduced. My name is Rouge the Bat, but you can just call me Rouge." She introduced. Maria coughed and got Rouge to face her.

"Well, my name is Maria." She greeted with an outstretched hand. Rouge shook it generously and Maria continued. "So… Do you know where the next four emeralds might be?" She asked curiously.

"I know where three of them are. And they are all in the exact same place."

"Well don't hold out on us. Spit it out!" Eggman demanded impatiently.

What Rouge said next sent a chill down the doctor's spine.

"The Emeralds are in the storage compound of the government base… Prison Island."


	7. Chapter 7

I don't own the Sonic series

All content belongs to respective owners.

* * *

Chapter 7: Island heist

Maria kneeled down and smelled the exotic flowers in the deep jungle. She sighed as she was captivated by the beauty of the greenery. She turned to see her cousin looked very impatient inside his mechanical walker. "Having to come back here isn't exactly my idea of a vacation! Are you sure that there are any Chaos Emeralds here at all?" He asked Rouge as she calmly laid against an oversized tree branch.

"If you want we can call the deal off and I can take them all for myself." She taunted him. Maria rejoined the group and played peacemaker.

"They could be here. They were hiding me after all." She reasoned. The logic calmed Dr. Eggman down and he grunted.

"I suppose I can't argue with that. Now, let's go over the plan for the mission one more time." He proposed, drawing the other two in. "I'll go in first and cause as much destruction I can. Drawing the guards from their posts, which will in turn allow you two to sneak into the compound undetected." He elaborated. As he continued to talk, he pulled a small gray block out of this machine's glove compartment. "Then, Maria will enter the armory and place this dynamite pack. It will cause a chain reaction that will destroy the whole island. Allowing us to get away before anyone has a chance to know what hit them!"

Maria was a little afraid as she reminded of her role in the plan. She remembered back to her younger days. How her grandfather often told her to be kind to others and treat them with respect. "Sorry, Grandfather. Not this time." She whispered under her breath as she took the dynamite from Eggman. Her cousin continued to elaborate the plan, specifically eyeing Rouge.

"Meanwhile, Rouge will sneak into the vault and steal the Chaos Emeralds. That shouldn't be so much of a problem for a treasure hunter as yourself, right Bat-Girl?" He asked. Rouge simply grinned and winked. "We only have 30 minutes to pull this mission off, and we only get one try. If you run into trouble, radio for help. Let's go!" With that, the trio went out of the jungle and into the steel, man made area of the island.

Meanwhile, a boat was shuttling supplies to the island as well. But little did they know, that a pink hedgehog had stowed away on board. "Alright, almost time for Operation: Save Sonic!" She proclaimed as she was tucked away in a crate. She peaked out a small hole and saw Prison Island. The thought of Sonic, a hero and her love being locked away, all because of that Maria girl. "If I see her again, she's going to pay for what she did to Sonic!" She vowed.

On the iron, weapons deck. Soldiers calmly kept watch and tended to their guns. "Something isn't quite right." One of them said aloud. His partner looked at him and chimed in.

"I know. They didn't give us the green light for lunch yet."

"No, not that. I feel like something bad is about to happen." He worried. His friend just chuckled.

"This is one of the nation's most secure facilities ever. Sure one guy broke in before, but what are the odds that…" His statement was cut short when a missile blew up behind them and knocked them over into the water. The source was Dr. Eggman, laughing maniacally destroying the fortress and obliterating all their weapons.

"Is this seriously all the upgrades you've done while I was gone. What a pity I have to destroy this all." He mocked as he blew up an entire fighter jet. As he fired more and more from his arsenal, he glanced to his sides to see Maria and Rouge slipping by all the soldiers in the area. "All according to plan…" He smirked.

On the boat, Amy started to peak out the box she was hiding in. Rather than being greeted with a calm little fortress, she saw the whole thing darted with flames and billowing out smoke. "What? Did someone beat me here?" She snuck off the boat and swam to the dock, eventually climbing a ladder up to the deck. She thought the situation over and grinned. "Maybe I can use this to my advantage and find Sonic." She wondered. As she tried sneaking around panicking soldiers, she saw someone else among the smoke. "Hey… It's HER!"

Dr. Eggman had shortly reunited his team and looked out at their open path. "Alright, that's enough on my part for now. Maria, Rouge, on with the show!" It was as he finished his statement that they heard a feminine scream of rage. Maria turned around just in time to dodge the comically large hammer from driving her into the ground. She looked up to see Amy as the assailant.

"I don't know what YOU are doing here. But you're going to pay for what you did to me and my Sonic!" She yelled with a fierce fire blazing in her eyes." Maria was too stunned to reply to Amy's fierce rage. Eggman on the other hand was more than upset.

"Well, is there something I can help you with?" He sarcastically asked. Amy turned and noticed him, raising an eyebrow upon sight.

"Dr. Eggman?" She then noticed Rouge and saw how heavily outmanned she was. She slowly backed away and withdrew her hammer. "Oh, maybe this wasn't such a good idea... Uh, AHHHH!" She screamed as she ran away.

"Grr, Amy your timing is abysmal." He complained. He gripped the controls for his mech and tucked goggles over his eyes. "I'll take care of that pink brat. You two, GO!" He barked. His companions nodded as they went to try and find away inside the fortress and Eggman gave chase to Amy.

Maria and Rouge eventually made it to the main entrance of the fortress. Maria looked at the giant steel door, its overwhelming size towering over them. She saw a small light blue key pad on the side that was linked to it. "Alright, looks like we might need a password to get inside." Rouge simply shrugged Maria off and dialed a quick combination of button presses in, causing the door to instantly open. Rouge glanced at Maria then to the door.

"Are you ready?" She asked. Maria was stunned.

"How did you open that door so fast?"

"I have my ways. Come on, let's get those Emeralds." Rouge cheered as she walked inside.

Maria stole a suspicious glance before she proceeded to follow.


	8. Chapter 8

I don't own the Sonic series

All content belongs to respective owners.

* * *

Chapter 8: Saving Sonic

Amy ran as fast as she could to escape Eggman's pursuit. She gasped and wheezed as she made her way to the edge of the pier and then Eggman had cornered her. "Give up, Amy! Running will just prolong the inevitable." He claimed. Amy quivered in fear as she stood face to face with the scientist. Then, a shadow loomed over both of them from above. They looked to the sky and saw a weird blue and yellow machine fall in between them.

Amy looked to its side to see her friend, Tails, piloting the robot. "Tails, what are you doing here?" She asked in a mixture of relief and curiosity.

"I could ask you the same question."

"I came here to save Sonic, obviously. Our love is to strong for even the law to keep us apart…" She romanticized. Tails let out a small groan.

"Ugh, well you're lucky I came here to save him too." He explained. Dr. Eggman had his patience run increasingly thin.

"Listen here, you two tailed freak! This has nothing to do with you! Walk away now and I'll spare you without a second thought." He offered. Tails just scowled at the man, disgusted with him.

"Like I'd abandon my friends without a care in the world." The two began to blast at each other with all the weapons their crafts had. Tails was able to find a brief moment of calm to get to Amy one more time. "What are you waiting for? Find Sonic." He instructed, the pink hedgehog nodded and ran off inside of the fortress to find her friend.

After a while of shooting, Eggman noticed Amy's disappearance. "Blast, she's gone!" Tails had his mech positioned to fire at the ready. Waiting for Eggman to burst in rage and continue to attack.

But he didn't. Instead he simply sighed in exhaustion. "I suppose it's not that bad… Amy didn't actually hurt her. Though she still might be a problem, later." He reasoned. Tails was confused by his self conversation.

"Her? Who are you talking about?" He asked, suspecting the scientist was hiding something. Dr. Eggman turned around, remembering Tails' presence. He looked back at the ocean and grunted.

"You shouldn't be sticking your nose in other's business, Tails." He spat. "I'll let this go for now. But don't think you'll be so lucky if you and your pals try to cross me again." With that warning, he simply had his walker shuffle along the harbor. Tails could only stare in bewilderment as Dr. Eggman seemed different to him somehow.

Meanwhile, Amy was sneaking through the compound eluding guards left and right. She hid behind some supply crates as a pair of soldiers walked past her without even minding their surroundings. Amy reached out and slyly grabbed an ID badge out of one of the soldiers back pocket. With the badge, she went down into the prison and used the card to open the door. When she walked in, she saw Sonic pacing around impatiently in his little cell.

He noticed her and was a little surprised. "Amy? How did you get here?" He asked. Amy giggled.

"They needed supplies and I snuck on the boat. Need some help getting out?" She asked waving the key card in the air.

"Gladly. The only reason I'm here anyway is because of that fake hedgehog pretending to be you!"

"Don't get me started on her…" Amy complained as she swiped the card through a keypad and the cell gate opened. "…She not only ruined MY good name and got YOU locked up for it, but she and Dr. Eggman are here for who knows what." Amy whined. Sonic flinched hearing the mad scientist's name.

"I knew that egghead was behind this! Are they still here?"

"Yeah, they came with some bat-girl here too." Amy slowly found herself sidetracked by something inside Sonic's cell. The walls were all covered in long, complicated equations for something. "Sonic, did you write all this?" She asked. But when Amy turned around, the blue hedgehog was gone. "Sonic? Grr. He can be such a brat sometimes." She groaned as she went off to look for him.

Meanwhile, Sonic had already started running across the island looking for any sign of Eggman and Maria. "Dr. Eggman, I don't know what you and that girl are planning… But I'm going to stop it." He vowed.


	9. Chapter 9

I don't own the Sonic series

All content belongs to respective owners.

* * *

Chapter 9: What is justice?

"There she is!"

"Stop her!" Guards constantly shouted as they tried to shoot Maria down. But the girl was too fast and knocked them all unconscious before they could even reload their weapons. Whenever they tried to call for help, they were quickly silenced and stuffed away in a corner. Maria had no feeling in hurting them what so ever. No pride or satisfaction. No remorse or guilt.

She felt absolutely nothing.

Eventually, she made her way into the armory and she placed the dynamite onto a missile and turned it on. It was then ready to be set for a countdown time. She sighed and pulled out a communicator. "Alright, I'm in position. Ivo, tell me when to set the bomb."

"There was… a delay on my end. No more time to waste. Maria, set the timer for 15 minutes. Can you handle that Rouge?" Her cousin asked through the receiver. Rouge giggled through the receiver.

"Sure, whatever. But 5 should be more than enough for me." She bragged. Maria nodded and set the time for 15 minutes exactly. It let out a few rapid beeps and then it started to count down the seconds until the fiery end. Maria sighed glumly as she ran back out of the base and for the rendezvous point. Eventually, she found herself running through the jungle again. She slowed down and admired the greenery and the sunlight coming through the trees. "It's beautiful." She sighed.

She started to look around her and saw how the forest looked more fragile than at first glance. So defenseless, simple, and serene. "Maybe this was a mistake to put the bomb here." She started to doubt herself. Then a small butterfly glided in front of her. Its wings were a marvelous pattern of orange stripes and white dots. "Hello, little guy." She greeted innocently. "You probably shouldn't stay here. It's really dangerous." She warned. The insect fluttered away and rested its teeny legs on a large, crimson flower.

Then suddenly, the petals snapped shut and crushed the bug mercilessly. Maria looked in awestruck horror as the creature's sudden death. Pain coursing through her delicate blue eyes. The event caused something to spark in her. A memory from the long distant past.

 _Maria looked at all the big men walking away from her grandfather's study on the ARK. Their vests and helmets were all monogramed G.U.N. She walked inside and saw the professor working on a little trinket. "Grandpa, what's a gun?" The little girl wondered. Her grandfather was taken aback by the question._

 _"Well sweetie, a gun is a weapon that people use for…" Gerald did a double take and corrected himself. "Wait, do you mean the big men in the outfits?" Maria nodded vigorously. "Well, those people are soldiers for The Guardian Units of Nations. They protect people and keep the world safe." He explained. "Why, they even give me the money for my projects." He laughed. Maria smiled and looked at the soldiers._

 _"So, are they super heroes?"_

 _"I guess you could call them that."_

 _"I like super heroes…"_

Maria clenched her fists and felt her blood boil. In an instant, she threw a Chaos Spear at the flower and turned it to ash. "Those dirty liars!" She spat. In a matter of seconds, any guilt and doubt she felt about the plan she and her cousin made had vanished. "They took my home! They killed my family! They killed SHADOW! They deserve all of this and more." She fumed in spite. She was about to storm out of the jungle, but was stopped by an unexpected intruder.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in!" Maria turned towards the voice and found Sonic staring up at her from above.

"Really, Sonic is here too?" She muttered.

"I found you, FAKER!" He accused. Maria raised an eyebrow at the statement.

"Faker? What do you mean by that?"

"Don't play dumb. You went and stole a Chaos Emerald pretending to be my friend. Having her take the fall, and turning me into a crook trying to protect her!" Sonic explained. Maria's eyes widened in surprise as she remembered the pink hedgehog that actually looked a little like her aside from quills and shorter hair.

"Oh, Oh my gosh. I'm SO SORRY!" She gasped rather nervously.

"Darn right you're going to be sorry when I…" Sonic rewound the statement and replayed Maria's apology. He slightly relaxed and eyed her cautiously. "You're sorry?"

"Yes. I did want the Emerald and was willing to steal it. But I didn't know that girl existed at the time." She explained. "I had no intention of getting her involved." Sonic simply stared at her and gave a grin.

"Well… I guess I'll accept the apology. But why did you steal the Emerald anyway?" He asked.

"Simple. To save the world." She explained.

"Save it from what?"

"From itself, and the people that seek nothing but pain upon others." She turned away from Sonic and continued to explain as she walked away. The blue hedgehog climbed up and followed her. "The people and things I've seen are horrific, Sonic. Even with people like you, things still continue to get worse. I seek to end it." The girl stated sternly. Sonic scratched his head, a little confused.

"But doesn't stealing from a federal bank kind of making you no better?"

"On the surface. But in the pursuit of justice, the end justifies the means."

"But then why are you running around ticking off G.U.N.? They're the good guys too." Sonic argued. Maria felt her eye twitch a little as she grew more aggravated.

"Are they? Would the good guys cryogenically freeze an innocent girl? Would they go and betray her trust and take everything and everyone they love away from them?" She argued. Sonic immediately caught on to the fact that she was referring to herself.

"Well even if all that's true, you shouldn't be helping out some wack-job like Eggman!"

That was what set Maria over the edge.

"MY COUSIN IS NOT A WACK-JOB!" She burst in a fit of rage. Almost as soon as she screamed, however, she covered her mouth with both hand and gawked at Sonic's flabbergasted face.

"C-cousin!?" Sonic barely was able to speak as though Maria's words had knocked the wind out of him. She turned her blue eyes to the ground and sighed.

"Yes, Ivo is my cousin." She admitted. "Look, Sonic. You may be a hero, but I know what I'm doing is the greater good. The true path to peace and justice for me and the world's prosperity. You are either with us or against us." She stubbornly growled. Sonic recovered from his shock and took a deep breath.

"Here I thought we could be friends and put this mess behind us. But I guess it's not that simple." The blue hero bent his knees and curled his hands into fists. "I'm not letting you or Eggman get away with whatever plan you cooked up." Maria spread her legs out and stretched her arms out to her sides.

"Good thing I'm prepared to fight too." The air around them grew tense and their eyes locked. From the trees above, a small leaf snapped off a branch and gently glided to the ground. Slowly, it fell down to the grass beneath their feet. When it touched, the two hedgehogs dashed at each other instantaneously. They continued to brawl with each other, trading blow after blow. Sonic managed to sprint a small distance away and spin-dashed into Maria's back, sending her into the dirt.

"That was for Amy!" He smugly taunted as he dusted off his gloved hands. Maria glared at him, teeth showing in an angry frown. There was soon a bright flash of light and she had vanished. Sonic barely had time to wonder where she went before he kicked him into the dirt face first.

"That was for Ivo!" She returned. Sonic got up and revved up another spin-dash, charging at Maria. She began to kick him away like a soccer ball, but the blue blur ricocheted off the trees and came back to her for another chance. Eventually, Maria warped out of his way and Sonic soon came to a stop. They were soon both left gasping for air. "You really are as strong as I thought." Maria wheezed.

"You're not so bad either for a novice." Sonic complimented. The two hedgehogs simply took the time to catch their breaths. Before either could throw another punch, there was a small beeping that came out of Maria's communicator. She quickly pulled it out and responded to the call, where her cousin was on the other end.

"Maria, where are you?" He asked worriedly, she glanced back up at her blue adversary.

"I got caught up in a little struggle." She simply put.

"Well, you better wrap it up. We only have 7 minutes before the island blows up with US on it!" He warned. Sonic's eyes widened in shock.

"Blows up!?" He gasped. Maria simply looked away and took off. Sonic growled in frustration and ran in the opposite direction. "I don't have time to deal with Maria. I need to find Amy and get out of here!" He claimed as he took off trying to find his friend. Maria, meanwhile continued to talk in the communicator.

"Rouge, are you on your way to the rendezvous point?" She asked.

"Uh, actually I have a problem. I got the Emeralds, but the security doors closed and I'm locked in."

"Where are you?" Maria asked without even pausing.

"Vault area E." Instantly, Maria turned around and started towards Rouge's location.

"Don't worry, Rouge. I'll save you." She reassured. She turned off the communicator and sped up. "I'm not losing another friend."


	10. Chapter 10

I don't own the Sonic series

All content belongs to respective owners.

* * *

Chapter 10: Miraculous escape.

Maria barely thought of anything else as she kept running through the jungle besides saving Rouge and getting the emeralds. _(I have to save her. I won't let another friend die on me.)_ She thought to herself. Eventually, she found an entrance to the compound Rouge was in. She ran in and didn't even notice the large absence of guards of any kind. But if she did, she wouldn't have cared, it wasn't important.

Meanwhile, Sonic had already gotten out of the jungle and was looking for Amy across the steel harbor. "Amy? Amy, where are you?" He cried it. Thankfully, he was greeted by shouts of his name, he turned to his left to see Amy running towards him with a blue and yellow robot running beside her. He looked closer and saw Tails driving it. "There you guys are!"

"Sonic, glad to see your safe." Tails sighed in relief.

"Save the catch-up for later Tails. We need to get out of here right now." He instructed. Just then, they heard the roaring of engines and looked up to see various air craft swarming above them. Tails had the most uneasy expression out of the three.

"I could fly us away with the plane, but the airspace is crowded. We need to find a clear run way."

"No problem, lets get moving." The trio began to run off and find a good place to start flying.

While they searched, Rouge sat in a dark room, surrounded by three Chaos Emeralds. The red, purple, and light blue jewels cast a dim light in the vault. "So, this is the end of the line?" She asked herself. "I guess I had a good run." She closed her eyes and started to accept her fate. But suddenly, the wall blasted open and she saw Maria walk out of the smoke. "What? How did you…" Before Rouge could finish, Maria grabbed the purple gem out of Rouge's arms with one hand, and grabbed the bat's arm with another.

"CHAOS CONTROL!" In an instant, there was a bright white light, then the two vanished.

Sonic ran with Amy and Tails riding in the walker beside him, desperate to find a good place to take off. As they ran, something in the distance caught Sonic's eye. He looked to see Dr. Eggman in his trademark vehicle, sitting on the edge of the harbor. Thinking only for a moment, he turned and ran in his direction. Tails was unprepared for the change in plans. "Sonic, wait!" He screamed as he and Amy followed. Sonic sprinted towards his arch-enemy and skidded to a halt beside him.

"Long time no see, Egghead!" He mocked. Eggman turned and nearly jumped out of his seat in surprise.

"Sonic, what are you doing here?" He asked aggravated.

"Can the chit-chat, Eggman. I want answers. Now tell me the truth!"

"The truth? About what, you pesky little-.

"I met her in the jungle, Eggman. That yellow hedgehog. Just who exactly is she?" Eggman fell silent and broke a nervous sweat. "She told me you were cousins. Is that for real?" Eggman struggled to think of a way out of the conversation. He didn't really want to share the information with his mortal enemy. Tails and Amy eventually came up from behind Sonic. Tails started to chime in with his thoughts.

"What exactly is going on here?" Before he could get an answer, a bright flash of light erupted in front of them all. When they recovered from the blindness, they saw Maria and Rouge in front of them with three Chaos Emeralds. Maria scooped the gems up and dumped them in her cousin's pod.

"We need to go, Ivo. Right now!" She exclaimed not even caring about Sonic and his friends. She and Rouge climbed inside Eggman's pod and the three flew off. Sonic gritted his teeth and jumped on Tails' mech.

"Tails, follow them!" Tails nodded and the machine retracted its legs and outstretched two wings from its sides, turning into a bi-plane. The aircraft took off in pursuit of the gray hover craft. As they started to catch up to their rivals, there was a loud boom from behind them. All six turned around to see the entire island starting to be engulfed in a blazing fire. Multiple explosions burst in one area of the island after another, and soon nothing was visible through the black smoke. Sonic and his friends could only gaze in horror at the destruction of the military fortress. Sonic clenched his fists and turned towards Maria and her group. "Is THAT your idea of peace and justice?" He growled.

Maria looked down, hurt over the remark. Eggman leaned over and stroked her hair like quills comfortingly. "Don't let that pest get under your skin, Maria. It'll all be worth it in the end." He reassured. Sonic felt even more anger bubble up and break his cool and collected composure.

"I'd normally be surprised at you showing kindness towards somebody. But since she is your cousin helping to do your dirty work, I can see why." Tails and Amy were shocked to here his remark.

"They're COUSINS!?"

"She's not even human." Maria's heart ached with the ridicule she received. Eventually the comments were too much to bare.

"Enough. Just stop." She reached into the pod and pulled out one of the Emeralds. "Sonic, you and your friends need to stay out of our way. Chao Control…" She glumly sighed out of heartache. In an instant, there was a bright flash, and Eggman's machine was gone. Leaving only Sonic and his friends to drift through the sky alone.

Amy turned her head to look at Sonic, heasitating to ask the inevitable question. "Sonic, was that Maria girl really, well, you know?" Sonic sighed and didn't even look back.

"If you saw what happened between me and her you wouldn't have a doubt in the world either."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The ultimatum

Sonic, Tails, and Amy could only sit in silence in an alleyway as they listened to the radio recapping the events of the Prison Island disaster earlier that day. "The whole base was completely obliterated by the explosive device left behind by Dr. Eggman and his minions. Fortunately, all personally were evacuated and no human casualties have been accounted for. We can only describe these events as a miracle." The broadcast informed.

Sonic slammed his fist against a wall. "No one even died? What is going on inside that girl's head?" He groaned. Tails saw the confusion and anger on Sonic's face and grew concerned.

"Sonic, I know how Eggman and Maria are getting under your skin. But, aren't you getting to obsessed over it?" Tails asked trying to calm him down. Amy on the other hand, interjected and defended the blue hero.

"Tails, Sonic has a point. I mean look at the situation and tell me you're not curious. Dr. Eggman is a human and Maria isn't! How does that make sense?" She asked. Tails looked down and wondered about the situation.

"Well then again…"

"No, Tails is right. It's not that big of a deal." Sonic quickly waved the question off. "We can look into Maria later. Right now, we need to find out what that Egg head is planning and how to stop it." It was then the trio heard the mad man's laughter on a jumbo-tron in the city plaza. "Speak of the devil." Sonic groaned as the 3 stepped out of the alley to watch Eggman's little performance.

"Citizens of the world! I am Dr. Eggman, the world's greatest scientist. And soon, to be the world one of its greatest rulers." He boasted behind the screen. "If you could turn your attention to the sky, you will see how exactly I can make such a claim." The people of the planet did so and saw a green light building up the sky. It grew ever brighter and larger by the second until finally, it shot a beam across the night sky and struck the moon. Soon, there was a large blast that could be felt across the Earth, and half of the moon had been reduced to a molten crater.

"That is what will befall the rest of the planet if the world's leaders don't relinquish their authority to me within 24 hours." Eggman's face was soon replaced with a countdown timer ticking towards zero as he laughed. Everyone could only watch in terror as they saw smoke billow from the moon. Sonic gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

"Maria, don't you know what your doing?" He asked himself under his breath.

 _Meanwhile, on the ARK_

Maria watched as the moon was destroyed and a molten black hole was left on it. She couldn't bring herself to speak as the damage was done. Eggman and Rouge looked at her inside the room, she stood idly by looking out the window. They shared a nervous glance and tried to comfort her. Rouge put a hand on Maria's shoulder and hesitated to think of a good thing to say. "Listen, thanks again for saving me back there Maria. I would have gotten ruined, let alone the heist." She spoke gently.

Maria still didn't say a word as her attention was on the moon. Eggman tried to divert his cousin away from the moon with something else. "I know that it's seen better days, but the view of Earth is still breath taking, right?" He asked. Maria soon let out a small chuckle.

"It's kind of poetic in a way." The other two could only look at the hedgehog curiously as they couldn't comprehend her statement. "The moon symbolizes my perception of humanity as a child. The Eclipse Cannon is the wisdom you two have bestowed upon me." She continued as tears began to flow more freely from her eyes. "And the crater is the truth that was hidden from me about humanity's dark nature." She said bitterly. Rouge shot Maria a look and punched her in the arm.

"Oh, don't be so depressed." The bat looked at the moon again and smiled. "If what you say is true, then what about the part of the moon that isn't totaled? What does that mean then?" She asked. Maria rubbed her arm and did a double take.

"I. Don't know." Eggman saw his opportunity and jumped in to save his cousin's heart.

"Maybe it's a sign of hope? There is still good in the world and it's people. Like your noble cause. Sonic's desire to protect the world as it is. Even our relationship as family. What do you think?" He asked. Maria looked up to her cousin and smiled.

"Yeah. You're right. Thanks, Ivo." She said warmly as she gave him a hug. "You're so sweet." Maria soon yawned out tiredly. "I think I need some sleep." With that, her peers left the room and Maria changed into a small night gown and got into her old bed. She looked out the window and sighed. "Someday, this will all end. And the future we get will be worth the suffering."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Premonition of darkness

Maria's eyes opened and she felt a sense of discomfort. She saw a dark, purple landscape that imposed a feeling of doom. "Where am I?" She asked herself. Maria walked forward in the void and stumbled about trying to get a grasp on her surroundings. "Ivo? Rouge?" She called out seeking comfort. Eventually, her eyes settled on a mass of blue on the floor. "Sonic?" She rushed over to him as quickly as she could. "Are you okay? What's going on?" Maria asked as she knelt down to help him up.

But when she tried, her arms phased through him like she was a ghost. "What?"

" _Muhahahaha!_ " Maria turned her head to see what looked like herself. But this version of her seemed more villainous. The blue dress and slip on shoes were swapped out for a black gown and heels. Her face was covered in make up like black lipstick and mascara. But what Maria found most disturbing were the doppelganger's eyes. They were a piercing shade of red. The other Maria soon raised her arm and all seven Chaos Emeralds gathered around her. " _Finally, I have all the Chaos Emeralds!"_ She cackled.

Sonic lifted his head up and looked at the evil Maria in fear. "Maria… What are you going to do with them?" Maria could only watch in shock as she watched the scene in front of her. The dark copy looked at her hands and smiled.

" _I am Maria… The Hedgehog. I was spared by fate to bring justice to the people of Earth as the ultimate life-form."_ She began. Then, a wicked smile grew on her face and she said something that made the real Maria gasp in fear. " _With the power of these emeralds, I'm going to DESTROY this damn planet!"_

As the evil version laughed a wicked cackle, Maria felt a sense of dread overtake her. "No, No this can't be happening! I don't want this!" She shrieked in terror and closed her eyes. "Please, this has to be a dream." Then, her body felt stiff and ridged and her eyes snapped open. She looked down and found herself in place of her evil self, and was even wearing her clothing. She tried to move but her body wouldn't budge.

Her fears were worsened when a mysterious, unknown voice called out to her. "Yes, my child. It IS just a dream. And soon it will come true." It growled. "Now, destroy that fool who dares oppose you." It commanded. Maria was confused and wanted to ask the voice's identity. But instead, her body responded on its own.

 _"_ Yes… Master." She said against her will as she unconsciously smiled. Maria's blood felt cold as she couldn't control herself. An odd sensation of power bubbled inside of her filling her with both pleasure and disgust. A light gathered in her hand as she prepared to fire a blast at Sonic. Maria kept struggling in her head to regain control of her body. ("No. Please don't. Sonic, RUN!")

It was too late. Soon she fired and blasted Sonic to oblivion.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Maria screamed and shot up from her bed. She gasped heavily and looked at the window for a reflection. She was relieved to see she was back in her nightgown and no trace of her nightmare self was found. "Just a dream. It wasn't real, it was a dream." She sighed. Maria took several deep breaths to try and calm down. Despite the relief of her return to reality, she still felt uncomfortable about what she saw. "Who was that talking to me? And why would I ever want to destroy the Earth?"

"Maria! Are you okay? I heard screaming." Eggman yelled as he rushed in.

"I'm fine, Ivo. I just had a bad dream that I need to take my mind off of."

"Well, maybe joining my conference will help?"

"Conference?" Maria asked her cousin in bewilderment.

"I scheduled a meeting with the President of the United Nations. I thought you would like to have input on our future empire's policy." He offered. Maria smiled and nodded.

"I'd like that. Just let me get dressed." She replied as Dr. Eggman left the room for her to change. Maria changed into clothes and looked at the window one more time. Her gaze fixated on the planet. "I will do whatever it takes to protect the beauty and people of Planet Earth!" She promised as she clenched her fists and a determined smile plastered itself on her face.

* * *

 _ **Sorry if this chapter is short. For those interested in this AU, I plan on stretching it hopefully to the end of Sonic Heroes (and hopefully Shadow the Hedgehog). But in case I get sloppy, I encourage others to try and write stories with this unique (Maria-Shadow switch) motif.**_

 _ **Please be sure to leave a review. And brownie points to people who can guess what Maria's nightmare was based on ;)**_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

Dr. Eggman and Maria walked into the central computer room of the ARK and Eggman typed a few buttons into a key board. Maria felt a sense of pride for the first time in weeks as her cousin prepared a video chat. She felt like a diplomat, ready to discuss the growth of the future. "Almost ready." Eggman promised.

"As excited as I am, I'm also a little nervous." Maria confessed. "What if he refuses and we don't get anywhere? What if he agrees right away and we have to create a new structure on the spot?"

"Don't worry, Maria. Regardless of the situation, confidence in a conversation is your greatest tool." He reassured. Soon enough, an image started to develop on the screen in front of them. A man in a black suit and tie and a woman in a blue business outfit appeared in what seemed to be the inside of a limousine. He cleared his throat and looked directly at the two Robotniks.

"So, you are the ones that are threating our planet with that weapon of yours?" He accused. Maria shrugged it off and tried to put on a brave face.

"Yes. But Mr. President, we aren't all that different when you take things from our point of view."

"What makes you think we could even be remotely similar?" Eggman chuckled in response.

"What my dear Maria means is that she wants what is best for the world and its people. If the Eggman Empire reigns supreme, there would be no war or fighting. All technological and medical science struggles would be made much easier, and of course, you wouldn't have to worry about managing all sorts' problems like diplomacy and other countries since they would all be demoted to provinces." He reasoned. The president still did not budge.

"Your silver tongues aren't going to fool me so easily." The secretary to his side tapped a pen against the window of the limo and got everyone's attention.

"Sir, even if their claims aren't trustworthy, we aren't in the best position to retaliate. Since the incident began our financial communities have become impacted and satellite communications are down. This is a national crisis!" She insisted. Maria nodded vigorously.

"Exactly!" A spark soon formed in the hedgehog's eyes as she grew more invested in the topic. "Mr. President, I don't want that cannon in effect anymore than you do. But think of your people! All the innocent men, women, children, families on the planet. If we set aside differences and bring diplomacy in as an option, I can assure we will be able to reach mutual understanding." She insisted. The conference went silent as everyone stared at her a little surprised with her outburst. Maria blushed and backed away from the camera. "Sorry. I'm a little passionate about peace." She squeaked.

The president scratched his head and resumed discussion. "Just spare me the details and tell me exactly what you two want." He demanded Dr. Eggman grinned and elaborated on his desires.

"What me and my dear Maria want is for you to surrender to our empire and make no attempts to resist. Otherwise my forces will make more direct attempts to acquire your nation." He threatened. Maria sensed the fear almost immediately and tried to ease the tension.

"If you agree within the next say, 10 hours, I can see to it you are still a governor of the territory. The only people that would outrank your authority there would be me and Ivo here. What do you think?" She asked optimistically. But before the president could respond, there was a voice from outside.

"NO WAY!" A familiar voice yelled out. Just then, Sonic and Tails fell through the roof of the limo and surprised everyone. "Eggman Empire? Yeah right!"

"What the heck?"

"Sonic!"

"YOU!"

Sonic smirked and turned to the president as Tails ran to the screen. "Don't worry, sir. We have this under control. Got the signal Tails?" He asked. Tails smiled and pulled out a floppy disk.

"Got it! They are transmitting the message from the Space Colony ARK." He informed. Maria gasped in horror at how they were instantly discovered. Sonic gave his friend a thumbs up.

"Sweet. All we need to do is go and stop them." He cheered, the blue hero then glanced at the screen and looked at his two rivals. "See you both soon." And with that, the duo left the limo and everyone stood slack jawed at the surprising revelation. Maria coughed and reached for the computer.

"We may need to reschedule this meeting for another time. Thanks for taking the time to contact us." Maria waved goodbye and turned the computer off. She turned to see her cousin stomping in anger.

"I. HATE. THAT. HEDGEHOG!" He screamed in rage. Maria grabbed his hand and gave a gentle squeeze. Her cousin stopped and looked into her compassionate eyes. Ivo soon felt his frustration melt away, as if his cousin displayed an aura of tranquility. He took a deep breath and sighed in anguish. "Sorry, he just really gets under my skin." He apologized as the door to the room opened revealing Rouge.

"So, how was that meeting? Are we and charge of the whole world now and are allowed to do whatever we please?" Rouge asked almost childishly. Maria sighed in defeat.

"Poorly. Sonic and a friend of his were eavesdropping and traced our call. Now they know where we are and are most likely on their way here!" She panicked. Rouge smirked and shrugged.

"So? Just fire the cannon again and get them off our back." Eggman pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned.

"If we fire it now it will barely be strong enough to level a small building. It needs to charge and even with 6 Chaos Emeralds it would still take too long." Eggman explained. Rouge giggled.

"Well it just so happens I know where the last emerald is now." Maria grew optimistic at the claim.

"Really? Rouge that's terrific!" She skipped over to the bat and wrapped her in a hug. "You're the best!" She let her go and brushed her dress down. "So, where is it exactly?" Rouge pulled out a newspaper and among the headlines, it showed a picture of Tails.

"Sonic and his friends have it. Tails got the emerald as a reward for saving the city Station Square from a missile strike a couple months back." The treasure hunter explained. Dr. Eggman laughed in delight.

"Excellent! Now, all we need to do is go and steal the emerald from them and global domination is ours!" He gloated. Maria raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Why would you do that? It seems like a pretty clumsy choice of action." She asked. Normally if confronted on an idea in his plans, the mad scientist would be frustrated and talk down to the person. But this time, he found his cousin's interjection curious.

"What do you mean a clumsy choice of action?"

"Well why would you take the risk of defeat by rushing in to end a battle sloppily?" She reasoned. "Considering we can have home field advantage, AND they already know were we are, let's just set up a trap and pin them into an unwinnable situation?" Maria brainstormed. Ivo and Rouge were wide eyed at her incredible plan.

"Maria. That's BRILLIANT!" Maria blushed at her cousin's praise. "But it has flaws of its own. If we lose here on The ARK, it's all over!" Rouge snapped her fingers in response.

"Then we can do both. Me and Maria will stay here and set up defenses while you try and get that last emerald!" Without even saying a word, the other two nodded and Eggman hustled out the door to find the teleporter back to Earth.

"Good luck, Ivo! I believe in you!" Maria cheered gleefully. "Isn't he so smart?" She asked Rouge, who was focused on the main computer with a devious grin.

"Yeah. He _sure_ is…"


	14. UPDATE

**Hello, Allanarcher777 here. I have come with some bad news, and some good news. I will get the bad news out of the way right now... I'm going to stop writing for this story. I am sorry to anyone I may have disappointed with this revelation, but I unfortunately have found new projects and other things have come up in my life as well. So unfortunately, the last chapter you got will be the last you hear from my telling of Maria's adventure...**

 **Key word being "MY". Which brings me to the good news: Although I may be stopping with this story, I am opening it up for adoption and allowing anyone to write with this AU as they please. I only have 2 points I would like to stress here for anyone who would like to take the wheel (even though I won't stop you if you ignore them).**

 **1\. Maria would not get amnesia after SA2's events. I want to see her through a different personal struggle.**

 **2\. Shadow. Stays. Dead. This is Maria's story not his. Nothing against Shadow and his fans, but things should be mixed up.**

 **Well, I hope this AU finds a good home in the Sonic community somewhere...**

 ** _Sayonara, Maria the Hedgehog._ **


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